Dispensers for protective gloves

ABSTRACT

A dispenser for loose, unpackaged protective gloves. A container has at least one compartment for holding a bulk quantity of gloves, and each compartment has a filling shaft with an upper filling opening to permit filling with the gloves. A dispensing portion at the lower end of the container protrudes forwardly from one side of the container. The dispensing portion has a dispensing shaft leading downwardly from the filing shaft for receiving gloves from the filling shaft, and top and bottom walls providing a top and bottom, respectively, to the dispensing shaft and which slope downwardly and forwardly from the filling shaft. An end wall is spaced from the compartment and extends between the top and bottom walls, with a dispensing opening into the inclined dispensing shaft extending within part of each of the end and top walls. The dispensing opening prevents gloves in the compartment from inadvertently passing through the opening but is shaped and sized to permit the insertion of a user&#39;s fingers into the dispensing shaft for gripping individual gloves and withdrawing them through the dispensing opening.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a dispenser for protective, medical orother protective gloves, and more particularly to the dispenser fordispensing gloves of different size, as well as a dispensing systemincorporating the dispenser and at least one package of the gloves.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided adispenser for dispensing loose, unpackaged protective gloves, including:a container having at least one compartment with a filling opening at anupper end thereof to permit filling of a bulk quantity of loose,unpackaged protective gloves into the compartment, and a dispensingportion at a lower end of the container and having a dispensing openinginto the compartment through which the gloves are dispensed, thedispensing portion being configured so as to present loose gloves withinthe compartment to the dispensing opening for dispensing therethrough,the dispensing opening being positioned laterally to one side of thecompartment so as to prevent gloves in the compartment frominadvertently passing through the opening but shaped and sized to permitthe insertion of a user's fingers into the dispensing portion forgripping individual gloves and withdrawing them through the dispensingopening.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provideda dispensing system for protective gloves, including the above dispenserand at least one package containing a bulk quantity of protective glovesfor dispensing from the dispenser, the package being operable forsupplying loose, unpackaged gloves to the or a respective compartmentfor subsequent removal therefrom through the dispensing opening.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of exampleonly with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dispenser for protective gloves;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a wall bracket for mounting thedispenser of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the dispenserin accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 4A is a perspective view of another dispenser for protectivegloves; and

FIG. 4B is a perspective view of a further preferred embodiment of thedispenser in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The dispenser shown in FIG. 1 is in the form of a rectangular container2 having an open upper end which is closable by means of a lid 4. Theinterior of the container is divided into several compartments byparallel partitions 6 extending vertically between the front and rearwalls of the container. In the particular form shown there are threesuch compartments and each compartment extends vertically along theheight of the container 2. The front wall 8 of the container includesdispensing apertures 10 each opening from a respective one of thecompartments, the aperture 10 being at the bottom of the associatedcompartment. In use, each of the compartments is filled with protectivegloves (typically made of thin latex) through the upper end of thecontainer, the gloves being supplied in a bulk package which can beopened and its contents tipped into the upper end of the compartment.Each compartment contains gloves of a different size. Removal of thegloves is effected through the aperture 10 at the lower end of thecompartment. When the gloves have been tipped into the compartment,portions of the lowermost gloves will tend to project through thedispensing apertures 10 and can thus be readily grasped and removed whenrequired for use. One or more windows 11 are formed in the front wall ofeach compartment to permit visual inspection of the amount of product ineach compartment to facilitate replenishment when required.

The dispenser may be fabricated in cardboard or plastics sheet materialby folding a suitable blank or may be injection moulded in suitableplastics material.

The dispenser may be mounted on the wall by means of a wall bracket 12shown in FIG. 2 in which the dispenser is removably fitted.

The preferred embodiment dispenser shown in FIG. 3 is generally similarto the dispenser shown in FIG. 2 except that the lower portion of thecontainer including the dispensing apertures 10 is enlarged to provide adeeper base which enables the dispenser to act as a free-standing unitwhich may be kept on a desk or table. In this preferred embodiment, theenlargement of the base is effected by extending the lower part of thefront wall 8 with a portion 8a directed outwardly and downwardly and afurther portion extending downwardly 8b. The dispensing apertures 10 areformed in a zone adjacent the junction of the two wall portions in orderto permit a hand easily to be inserted into the aperture from above andthereby to facilitate removal of the glove through the dispensingaperture. The bottom of each compartment preferably slopes towards thefront in order to cause the contents to move towards the dispensingapertures. If the configuration of the free-standing unit is such thatthe unit might topple over when stood on a desk, this tendency can becounteracted by making the dispenser of weight such that it will noteasily topple over when stood on a desk and this can be achieved byfabricating the dispenser by injection moulding from a suitableplastics, or by fabricating the dispenser from metal sheet, such asstainless steel sheet. The relative depth of the base and height of thedispenser will also influence the toppling characteristics and thesedimensions can be such as to minimise the risk of toppling.

The dispenser of FIG. 3 can be fabricated relatively inexpensively byfolding cardboard or plastics sheet material. The exterior of thecontainer can be fabricated from a single blank of the sheet materialwhich is shaped, and folded to form all of the external walls, includingthe front, rear, and side walls, the lid, and the base formed by wallportions 8a,8b. The individual compartments are each defined byseparately formed tubes of rectangular cross-section mounted within theexterior container. Each tube is itself formed from a separate one-pieceblank, folded into tubular shape. The bottom edge of the tube isperpendicular to the axis of the tube so that the tube rests on thebottom wall of the exterior container, and at its lower end portion thetube includes an integral ramp formed by a flap, which slopes forwardlyand downwardly from a position above the bottom edge of the tube to formthe sloping bottom of the compartment in order to direct gloves towardsthe associated aperture 10 in the external container.

In another dispenser shown in FIG. 4A, the dispenser is formed from agroup of plastics pipes secured in side-by-side relation to definerespective compartments. The pipes are open at their upper ends toprovide filling apertures and dispensing apertures 10 are provided atthe lower ends of the pipes. Inspection windows 11 are also provided.

In a further preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 4B the dispenser of FIG.4A is modified so that the bottom portion of each pipe is forwardly anddownwardly directed to define a dispensing portion including thedispensing aperture.

In each of the dispensers disclosed, the dispensing apertures 10 eachhave a concave or arched upper edge. This configuration has been foundto prevent tearing of the gloves as they are withdrawn.

Dispensers with three compartments have been described by way of exampleonly. When a particular dispenser is designed for a range of gloveshaving more than three sizes, the dispenser will have a separatecompartment for each size of glove.

The embodiments have been described by way of example only andmodifications are possible within the scope of the invention.

I claim:
 1. A dispenser for dispensing loose, unpackaged protectivegloves, comprising:(a) a container with at least one compartment forholding a bulk quantity of loose, unpackaged protective gloves, eachcompartment having a filling shaft with a filling opening at an upperend thereof to permit filling of the filling shaft with the gloves, thefilling shaft extending downwardly from the filling opening to a lowerend thereof, and (b) a dispensing portion at the lower end of thecontainer, the dispensing portion protruding forwardly from one side ofthe container and having(i) a dispensing shaft leading from and beingdownwardly inclined from the filling shaft for receiving gloves from thefilling shaft, (ii) a bottom wall providing a bottom to the dispensingshaft and which slopes downwardly and forwardly from the filling shaft,(iii) a top wall providing a top to the dispensing shaft and whichslopes downwardly and forwardly from the filling shaft, (iv) an end wallspaced from the compartment and extending between the top and bottomwalls, and (v) a dispensing opening into the inclined dispensing shaftthrough which gloves in the compartment are dispensed, the dispensingopening extending within part of each of the end and top walls, thedispensing portion presenting loose gloves within the filling shaft tothe dispensing opening for dispensing therethrough, the dispensingopening being positioned so as to prevent gloves in the compartment frominadvertently passing through the opening but shaped and sized to permitthe insertion of a user's fingers into the dispensing shaft for grippingindividual gloves and withdrawing them through the dispensing opening.2. A dispenser as claimed in claim 1, wherein the filling shaft extendsvertically from the filling opening to the dispensing portion.
 3. Adispenser as claimed in claim 2, wherein the filling shaft is ofconstant cross sectional shape and size throughout its length, the axisof the filling shaft being rectilinear.
 4. A dispenser as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the top, bottom and end walls are planar.
 5. Adispenser as claimed in claim 1, wherein the dispensing opening hasarched upper and lower edges.
 6. A dispenser as claimed in claim 1, andfurther comprising at least one window in a wall of the compartment topermit visual inspection of the glove contents within the compartment.7. A dispenser as claimed in claim 1, wherein the dispenser is formedfrom folded sheet material.
 8. A dispenser as claimed in claim 1,wherein three said compartments are provided, the respectivecompartments intended to contain a different size of glove.
 9. Adispenser for dispensing loose, unpackaged protective gloves,comprising:(a) a container with at least one compartment for holding abulk quantity of loose, unpackaged protective gloves, each compartmenthaving a filling shaft with a filling opening at an upper end thereof topermit filling of the filling shaft with the gloves, the filling shaftextending downwardly from the filling opening to a lower end thereof,and (b) a dispensing portion at the lower end of the container, thedispensing portion protruding forwardly from one side of the containerand having(i) a dispensing shaft leading from and being downwardlyinclined from the filling shaft for receiving gloves from the fillingshaft, (ii) a bottom wall providing a bottom to the dispensing shaft andwhich slopes downwardly and forwardly from the filling shaft, (iii) atop wall providing a top to the dispensing shaft, (iv) an end wallspaced from the compartment and extending between the top and bottomwalls, and (v) a dispensing opening in the end wall into the inclineddispensing shaft through which gloves in the compartment are dispensed,the dispensing portion presenting loose gloves within the filling shaftto the dispensing opening for dispensing therethrough, the dispensingopening being positioned so as to prevent gloves in the compartment frominadvertently passing through the opening but shaped and sized to permitthe insertion of a user's fingers into the dispensing shaft for grippingindividual gloves and withdrawing them through the dispensing opening.10. A dispenser for dispensing loose, unpackaged protective gloves,comprising:(a) a container with at least one compartment for holding abulk quantity of loose, unpackaged protective gloves, each compartmenthaving a filling shaft with a filling opening at an upper end thereof topermit filling of the filling shaft with the gloves, the filling shaftextending downwardly from the filling opening to a lower end thereof,and (b) a dispensing portion at the lower end of the container, thedispensing portion protruding forwardly from one side of the containerand having(i) a dispensing shaft leading from and being downwardlyinclined from the filling shaft for;receiving gloves from the fillingshaft, (ii) a bottom wall providing a bottom to the dispensing shaft andwhich slopes downwardly and forwardly from the filling shaft, (iii) atop wall providing a top to the dispensing shaft, (iv) an end wallspaced from the compartment and extending between the top and bottomwalls, and (v) a dispensing opening in the top wall into the inclineddispensing shaft through which gloves in the compartment are dispensed,the dispensing portion presenting loose gloves within the filling shaftto the dispensing opening for dispensing therethrough, the dispensingopening being position so as to prevent gloves in the compartment frominadvertently passing through the opening but shaped and sized to permitthe insertion of a user's fingers into the dispensing shaft for grippingindividual gloves and withdrawing them through the dispensing opening.